Kaitlin McCloughan lives in Minnesota, where she writes about software by day and spaceships by night. In past lives she resided in Beijing, Taipei, and various U.S. states while working as a scenic carpenter, an English teacher, and a naturalist, among other occupations. She tweets very occasionally at @kaitlinbmcc.

Kaitlin McCloughan’s story “The Flight Home” was published in Metaphorosis on Friday, 1 April 2016. Subscribe to our e-mail updates so you’ll know when new stories go live.

Tael pudding

In terms of flavor, it helps if you think of the tael as a giant blueberry. Yes, imagine a blueberry the size of a sugar pie pumpkin. Raw, the slices are a bit awkward to deal with (think of a soft watermelon). My recommendation is to remove the thin skin, mash the abundant pulp, and simmer the pulp with a three tablespoons of tapioca and 1-1/2 cups of water. Stir frequently, simmering for about 10-15 minutes until thickened.

Pour into small dishes, chill thoroughly, and serve top with crushed strawberries.

Lizzy thought she’d be spared the burying of him. She’d looked for Bryan in the dark waters, in wind and rain until night fell and searching was useless. After three days she thought the sea had taken him. He had thrown himself from the sea-cliffs. She’d watched him do it and hadn’t understood what he was doing until it was over. Even after, with time to reflect, it was barely comprehensible. South should have been …

A: I can’t help it. I was imprinted at an early age. As a little boy, I used to lie in bed and dream up stories that I’d continue from night to night. As an adult, I don’t limit myself to speculative fiction, but the increased possibilities, the broader palette for both character and plot are irresistible.

Gerald Warfield’s story “The Heresy Machine” was published in Metaphorosis on Friday, 18 March 2016. Subscribe to our e-mail updates so you’ll know when new stories go live.

Jack Noble comes from Scotland, but has lived most of his adult life in Asia. He is currently based in southern Vietnam, where he teaches English, bravely tackles the local language and struggles with road rage.